A common procedure for handling pain associated with intervertebral discs that have become degenerated due to various factors such as trauma or aging is the use of intervertebral spacers to, e.g., fuse one or more adjacent vertebral bodies. Generally, to fuse adjacent vertebral bodies, the native intervertebral disc is first partially or fully removed. An intervertebral spacer is then typically inserted between neighboring vertebral bodies to maintain normal disc spacing and restore spinal stability, thereby facilitating an intervertebral fusion.
There are a number of known conventional intervertebral spacers and methodologies in the art for accomplishing the vertebral fusion. These include screw and rod arrangements, solid bone implants, and intervertebral spacers which include a cage or other implant mechanism that may be packed with bone and/or bone growth inducing substances. These devices may be implanted between adjacent vertebral bodies in order to fuse the vertebral bodies together, potentially alleviating any associated pain.
However, there are drawbacks associated with the known conventional vertebral spacers and methodologies. Some conventional vertebral spacers may not be optimally configured for insertion into irregular or curved portions of the spine. For example, at the most caudal or most cephalad cervical disc spaces or caudal lumbar levels, conventional, angled instruments used to install conventional fasteners may interfere with the chin, chest, or other portion of a patient's anatomy, making insertion of conventional fastening members difficult.